| Changes for 2008
New Incentives for 2008
1st Out of the Money - The first angler out of the money
(not counting options) at each tournament will not have to pay their basic
entry at the next tournament. Only at the next tournament. If they
skip it they lose their free entry.
$500 Cash For Anglers of the Year - Courtesy of River Marine the 2008
pro angler of the year will receive $300 cash at the awards BBQ in January
2009. The amateur angler of the year will get $200 cash.
A New Set of Free Rods - For our tournament give-a-ways. We
recently received an order of Acadia sports fishing rods in assorted
lengths, actions, and styles. We will give one away after the weigh in at
every tournament. If you aren't there when we draw for the free
rod we will draw somebody else. We also have a few extras for special
promotions that will happen through out the year.
Fish For Free - Bring a buddy - Any current member
who has fished atleast one previous tournament who
brings a new member to fish with us will receive a $5
discount off their basic entry upto 5 discounts per tournament
if they and the new member both are able to
fish that toiurnament.
Bring five new buddies every tournament and you
could fish for free all season.
Rules Changes for 2008
Must Be In The Draw - This rule will be relaxed to allow the tournament
director the flexibility to make pairings and changes and add anglers after
the draw... only for the purpose of trying to make sure that everybody
who signed up gets to fish, and trying to make sure that everybody who wants
to fish with a partner gets one.
More Boaters (Pros) than Non-boaters (Ams) - Since the tournament
director is always the last one out, and comes in before the weigh in, in
the event that there are more boaters than non-boaters the tournament director
will fish solo.
General Rules
All anglers must abide by boating and fishing regulations and opearte in
a safe and courteous manner. Any angler cited for a violation during
a tournament will cause that team to be disqualified. Any team may
be protested by any other team or another boater on the water and a protest
will be decided by a group of three members not involved in the protest.
Fish by the rules and don't cheat. Boaters. Use your running lights
from launch until sunrise or you could be protested by another boater.
Qualified Boats - A qualified boat will:
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Have an operational lanyard type kill switch which must be attached to the
operator of the boat at anytime the boat exceeds no wake speeds.
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Have all required safety equipment including but not limited too flotation
devices, lights, and fire extinguishers.
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Have a front and rear casting deck or elevated casting area.
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Have a rear fishing seat suitable for bass fishing on the rear deck
for the use of the amateur while fishing.
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Be stable while fishing standing up and fishing and landing fish. Boats
shorter than 15 feet and/or narrower than 50 inches must be approved by the
tournament director.
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Be equipped with a functioning livewell with aerating and/or recirculating
device(s) sutiable to keeping a minimum of a five fish bag alive and healthy
for a full day of tournament fishing. A livewell need not be factory installed,
but if it must be approved by the tournament director and standards will
be very high. If you bring in fish that are not alive you may be required
to explain why it happened and/or show that repairs to prevent it from happening
agin have been done before you will be allowed to use your boat again in
a Yuma Pro Am tournament..
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Other rules may be added at anytime, and these rules may be changed at anytime.
Tournament Rules
In addition to operation and fishing according to regulations the following
rules apply.
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ALCOHOL - No consumable alcohol is allowed on board any tournament boat,
and consumption of alcohol is not allowed at anytime during the tournament.
Your tournament is not over until you have weighed your fish and the
weight has been recorded.
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DRUGS - No substances are allowed which would impair your safe operation
of a watercraft or fish a full tournament whether fishing as a Pro (boater)
or Am (non-boater). This includes both legal and illegal substances.
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The team will fish for a combined bag of legal size. This will typically
be (5) five fish. Bag may be changed at tournament launch time.
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Whenever the team exceeds the bag limit they must both stop fishing until
they are back to a tournament bag limit.
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Unless an angler is fishing solo neither angler may fish while the other
angler is not in the boat. An exception will be allowed if one angler
must leave during the tournament for other commitements, but they will not
be allowed to get back in the boat and resume fishing later. They need to
notify the tournament director prior to the start of the tournament for that
day. If an angler must leave the area for any reason they may not get back
in the boat to resume fishing.
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A boat can not be removed from the area by trailer and then get back in the
water and resume fishing. It can be trailered for repairs at the host
marina and then placed back in the water.
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You can not troll. Troling is defined as using the gas motor or using
an electric motor in a manner which would be considered trolling. the boat
as the sole means of propelling a bait through the water. Drifting
and dragging at the lowest speeds or when propelled by wind or current will
be allowed.
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You can not get out of the boat to better your position. You can
push it back off a sandbar or get out to cool off in the water if you
are overheated.
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Only artificial baits will be allowed except that pork trailers and fish
commercially formulated fish scents will be allowed.
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Every reasonable effort must be made to keep fish alive. There will
be a two tenths of a pound weight penalty for each fish weighed in dead.
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You may not cull dead fish. It is suggested that a dead fish be placed
in a plastic bag on ice in your ice chest so that it can taken home
to be eaten or be given to another angler and the meat won't be wasted or
go soft from being in a warm livewell all day long day.
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A fish brought to the scales which does not meet the legal or tournament
bag requirements will not be weighed and the team will suffer a one pound
penalty. If you catch an exceptional non target species you may request
the weigh master to weigh it for you after all torunament bags have been
weighed in.
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The target species for this tournament includes, largemouth, Smallmouth and
spotted bass, and hybrids there of. No other species are to be
brought to the scales during formal weigh in.
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A minimum of 30 yards must be maintained between your boat and any other
angler whether they are fishing our tournament or not. If you must
encroach to pass you must ask permission of the other angler and they can
deny it. See the next item for clarification. They may not position their
boat to block or prohibit access to a body of water large enough
for multiple anglers.
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No angler or team may block access to a channel or back water except that
if they are actively fishing a lake mouth or channel opening specifically
the angler or team wishing to pass must allow the angler that is fishing
the location a minimum of 3 minutes to fish that location before insisting
they allow them to pass.
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All anglers must wear a USCG approved life jacket at anytime the big motor
is running.
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The pro must have attached a safety lanyard which will operate a functiong
kill switch at anytime the boat is exceeding no wake speeds.
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Emergency operation of the boat may exempt the team from the preceeding two
rules in the event of an unforeseen and unforseeable emergency where immediate
operation of the boat may prevent an accident.
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Each angler may use only one tournament leal fishing rod at a time. There
is no limit ot the number of rods allowed in the boat.
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All entry fees must be paid prior to fishing.
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If you are unable to fish because of boat troubles you may request your
entry back prior being called out. If you have
begun the tournament you will not be refunded your entry fee.
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Sign up will be prior to the start of the draw on the Friday before the date
of the tournament. Late entries will not be accepted. You may sign
up in person or call to sign up, but neither you nor your partner will be
allowed to fish in the tournament until all fees are paid. An exception
may be made at the tournament director's discretion in the event of unforeseen
troubles and you may be allowed to fish starting late if you have gotten
prior permission from the tournament director. You must still have been in
the draw in order to fish the tournament.
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New amateur members will get to draw first if they are present at the draw
for position except that members in the top five positions after the10th
tournament of the year will get to draw first.
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Those present at the draw will get to draw for position before anglers
who call in to have somebody draw for them except that members in the top
five positions after the10th tournament of the year will get to draw
first.
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While we believe that anybody who has a suitable boat should fish in the
pro class we understand that some people may still wish to fish in the amateur
class. For those who do own a boat we will allow them to sign up as
"amateur with a boat." this will allow them to tkae their boat if their
aren't enough people fishing the pro class that day. They will still
accumulate amateur points, but they will compete for that day's tournament
as a pro,
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There are 12 points tournaments throughout the year. A pro's top
11 tournaments will be added up fpr total points, and an amateurs top 10
tournaments will be added up fro total points in the amateur group.
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If an amateur buys a suitable boat they may switch from fishing as an amateur
to fishing as a pro. They may only do this before the 7th tournament
of the year. They may still sign up as an amateur with a boat so they
will be open to bring their boat if their aren't enough pros for the
amateurs who want to fish.
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If there are not as many amateurs as pros a pro may opt to fish by themselves
for that tournament and compete for the pro portion of the awards.
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A pro who's boat is in the shop can opt to use that tournament as their one
throw out or they can opt to fish a single tournament in the season as an
amateur. They will compete for that single tournament for amateur
awards, but will acucmulate pro points. However, they will draw
last after all regular amateurs present at the draw have drawn. If
there are not enough boats they will have to sit this one out or hurry to
get their boat fixed.
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Any protest of another team or angler must be made in writing before the
end of weigh in. It must have your name, the team or angler being protested,
the reason you are protesting, the date, and your signature.
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LATE FOR WEIGH IN. 1/2 pound deduction per minute. Disqualified
if more than 10 minutes late. On time means you atleast are in the
host marina motoring towards the weigh dock before the official weigh time.
(I know other tournaments are 1 pound deduction per minute late, but
this is supposed to be a fun tournament.)
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Other rules may be added at anytime, and these rules may be changed at anytime
by the tournament director.
Membership
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Membership dues must be paid prior to fishing the first tournament of
any season. The dues are paid for that tournament season regardless
of when during the season a member pays their dues.
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An angler who has been caught cheating in a tournament may not be a member
of htis organization.
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A member of the organization must be a minimum of 18 years of. An exception
may be made for anglers 16 years if they are experienced anglers. Ask
the tournament director first. Any pro may without giving reason refuse
to fish with an underage angler. Both the angler and a parent must
sign the waiver and release.
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A member must complete and sign a membership form. An electronic or
facsimile form will not be accepted.
What is a Pro?
A pro is a member of Yuma Pro Am who owns a boat suitable for tournament
fishing.
What is an Amateur?
An amateur is a member of Yuma Pro Am who does not own a boat suitable
for tournament fishing. An amateur may also sign up as
amateur with a boat. They will fish for amateur points,
but if there are more amateurs than pros sign up
for a tournament they will be required to fish as a pro
for that tournament.
Pairing Up For a Tournament
On the Friday immediately before the tournament all prospective pro(boater)
and amateur(non-boaters) should come to the place of the tournament
draw and sign up. You can call that day and ask to be signed up, but
you will draw last for positions. If there aren't enough pros/boats
you will have to sit out unless you have signed up as an amateur with boat.
This is a reminder. Any amateur may sing up as an amateur with
boat, but if they do they will be required to use their boat if there aren't
enough pros for all the amateurs who want to fish. The draw will be
at a specific timae and place to be announced when the schedule
is released. Amateurs present for the draw will get to draw first.
Among those new members will get to draw before existing members.
Numbers will then be drawn for amateurs who called, but are not present
in the order they called in until the number of amateurs drawn
equals the number of pros signed up.
Then the pro members present will get to draw one or two numbers (their choice).
They may look at both numbers if they draw two and put one back.
That number will also be the order the team number and will determine
the number by which they will be allowed to begin fishing.
You must be in the draw to fish. You don't have to be present at the
draw, but its a good idea if you are.
Points Competition
Points will be awarded or subtracted as follows.
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100 points each for the team anglers who win a tournament.
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100 points less one point for each place after first for all other teams
that weigh in legal fish.
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1 bonus point for big fish of the tournament.
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Participation points for anglers that sign up for a tournament whether they
get to fish or not will be awarded on a progressive scale at 1 point
for the first tournament of the season and 12 points for the last tournament
of the season if there are 12 tournaments.
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Dead fish brought in to a weigh in will be a 1 point deduction.
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There will be a 1 point bonus each time a limit is brought to the scales.
Pro Angler of the year will be determined by the total of your best
11 tournament finishes of the year.
Amateur Angler of the year will be determined by the total of your best 10
tournament finishes of the year.
Payouts
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Tournament payouts will be based on the number of entries in your category.
Pro or Amateur.
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1 Place will be paid for every five entries.
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If there are uneven numbers of pros and amateurs the number places will be
determined by the number of entries in that category.
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An angler fishing alone will only win the pot for the category they
are fishing. That place for the other category will go to the person
fishing the other category in the next place down team.
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Big fish will pay one place for upto ten entries and two places if there
are ten or more entries. If big fish is weighed in by a person fishing alone
they will get the big fish pot only for the category they are fishing in.
It is possible for their to be two places paid for one category and
only on place paid for the other.
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For the purposes of tournament payouts a person fishing as a pro using their
own boat or as an amateur with boat who has had to use their own boat because
of a difference in the number of entries will be both classed as a pro.
Their points will continue to accumulate in the category they are signed
up.
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The 8 pound pot will accumulate until a fish over 8 pounds is brought
to the weigh in. If there is more than one the largest fish over 8
pounds wins. In the event that only one member of the team has signed
up for the 8 pound pot then only half the prize will go to that team member
who was in the option (regardless of which team member caught it) and the
remainder will be rolled over until the next time somebody brings in an 8+.
Yep. that means if you aren't in the option and your partner
is and you catch an 8+ your partner will be very thankful, but you will not
be awarded any cash prize for that fish. (unless its the big fish and
you were in that option)
THESE RULES ARE NOT COMPLETE AND I AM OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS THROUGH OUT THE
END OF DECEMBER 2005. Please check back at the end of December for a working
set of rules. A complete working framework should be up long before
that, but they will not be firmed up until the end of December. To
make suggestions or comments click on the Coctact Us link on the left side
of the page. |
